Allergic emergencies

Sending kids with serious allergies away for camp or even a sleepover can leave parents nervous wrecks. (Shutterstock.com)

Those lazy, hazy days of summer are not so relaxing for parents of kids with life-threatening allergies. According to a recent survey, almost half of parents with a child with anaphylaxis (a life-threatening form of allergic reaction) would never let them go to summer camp, and more than three in ten said they'd never let their child attend a sleepover. Parents of the online survey, conducted by the Allergy/Asthma Information Association, said they were also cautious about their kids eating out at restaurants, attending birthday parties, taking vacations and travelling by airplane.

Mississauga's Debbie Bruce is not surprised in the least at the survey's results. As a volunteer with the Canadian Anaphylaxis Initiative, she has spent the last couple of decades working to raise awareness of potentially life-threatening allergies while trying to protect her two allergic sons.

"Nothing prepares you for this," says Bruce, whose sons are now 29 and 19 and who still have serious nut allergies. "There are only 150 allergists in the country. We parents are often given a script for an emergency EpiPen, told to avoid the allergen and left on our own to figure out how to do that. As simple as it sounds, it's very daunting."

Her sons' allergies forced Bruce to become a sleuth who tracked down hidden allergens in foods and products in the days before labelling and warnings that "this product may contain nuts." Parents of allergic kids know how stressful it is to be constantly vigilant: Some potting soils now contain nuts, for example; lip gloss can contain almond oil; and dog food treats have peanut butter in them. If that dog licked a child with severe nut allergies, or someone who wore the lip gloss kissed the person who had a nut allergy, he could have a severe reaction, says Bruce. "Every item is checked three times before we eat it," she says of her own home: "Once in the store, once when we put it away, and once before we serve it."

Results of the survey, which indicated that more than half of the respondents were stressed out about anaphylaxis, rang true, says Bruce. As a mother and an educator who tries to raise awareness, she counts herself among the 76% of those surveyed who felt that Canadians are uninformed about anaphylaxis.

According to Anaphylaxis Canada, anaphylaxis is a serious allergic reaction that can be life threatening. Food is the most common cause, but insect stings, medicine, latex or exercise can also cause a reaction. Approximately 1.3 million Canadians have a food allergy, but not all allergic reactions escalate into anaphylaxis.

In a normal allergic reaction to an allergen that is ingested, breathed or touched, there is usually one part of the body that is affected whether it's the upper respiratory track, the skin or digestive system. We all know someone who breaks into hives, say, when eating shellfish, or sneezes during high pollen counts.

But in an anaphylactic reaction, often within minutes of exposure to the allergen, the person may experience life-threatening symptoms including difficulty in breathing, swelling of lips and tongue, sudden drop in blood pressure and loss of consciousness. This is an emergency, big time!

Bruce says that kids with serious allergies have to cope with bullying or teasing. "My son had a bag of peanuts thrust in his face in grade two," she recalls. "There is a lack of understanding that this is a serious medical condition." There are still plenty of people who think that allergies are overrated: "Anaphylaxis is invisible and underappreciated."

Knowing your child is only one mistake away from a potentially life-threatening medical emergency is tough, says Bruce who adds that parents often feel more stress than their kids because they work so hard at making sure their kids have as normal a life as possible: Restaurants are phoned ahead of time, allergy-free hotel rooms are pre-booked, and sometimes allergic kids bring their own food when asked to a party. "It's important to manage the stress and find balance," says Bruce, "but I must admit I always have a knot in the pit of my stomach."

Care, not cure

Allergies must be managed and anaphylaxis must be tended to immediately. Those at high risk carry an EpiPen (an auto-injector containing adrenaline). The EpiPen may buy time but someone suffering from anaphylaxis must be given emergency medical help. For more information, go to www.epipen.ca, www.anaphylaxis.org, or the website of the Allergy/Asthma Information Association at www.aaia.ca.

The new normal

In the Allergy/Asthma Information Association survey, more than half of the respondents admitted they were stressed and half of respondents confessed that anaphylaxis has had a negative impact on their quality of life or their family's quality of life.

Wear it proud!

The famous MedicAlert bracelet, created 50 years ago, can be engraved with your particular medical condition to alert the paramedic tending you what he or she needs to know to save your life. Check out its finer points at www.medicalert.ca.